Atomic Rooster - Anthology 1969-81

Early and late-period music from poultry-farmers’ faves

Stuck in heavy rock’s second division, Atomic Rooster were briefly elevated by two Top 20 singles, Devil’s Answer and Tomorrow Night. One was written by guitarist John Du Cann, the other by organist Vincent Crane; but that pairing was definitely a crowd. The band was too small for both talents and the latter left, rejoining a decade later.

What we have here are mostly alternative versions and outtakes originally released on previous Angel Air collections. That said, Anthology has its moments – as did the band themselves, who enjoyed an Indian summer when embraced by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. By then the music had lost much of its Craneinspired spookiness, and Disc Two, capturing this period after Du Cann rejoined, is loud, proud and representative of Rainbow/ Whitesnake-style 80s rock.

At the end of the day, Rooster could have scored a few more hits to keep their profile up. It all petered out, though, the band hopping from label to label and Crane sadly ending his own life in 1989. With the demise of drummer Paul Hammond, Du Cann is the classic line-up’s only surviving member, and this is very much his version of the story. Worth buying if you don’t have Angel Air’s earlier compilations.

Angel Air | SJPCD 280 (2-CD)

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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